The Kelantanese coat of arms, bearing elements of Western heraldry, consists of a crescent and a five-pointed star backed by three sets of weapons (compared to only two on the state's flag). The arms is further supported by a pair of salient muntjacs (kijangs), topped by a coronet, and includes a motto as a scroll below. Also present are decorative flora.
The arms may be depicted entirely in yellow-to-orange, but variants with more vibrant inclusions of red and blue are also in use. The Kelantese arms was introduced in 1916 under the order of Sultan Mohamed IV. Originally consisting of only the crescent and star, the three pair of weapons and the motto, the kijangs and coronet were only added several years later, resulting in its present form. Until 1916, Kelantan had no coat of arms.
Details of the arms' elements are as followed:
Helm
The helm is depicted as a coronet adorned with crescents and five-pointed stars, representing the sovereignty of the Kelantanese Sultan.
Crescent and five-pointed star
Together with the weapons, the crescent and five-pointed star form the principal element of the arms, with the crescent pointed upwards and its tips at the same height as the star. They symbolise the Islamic faith.
Dual spears and krises
The dual spears and unsheathed krises, traditional weapons of Kelantanese Malay culture, back the crescent, with the spears pointing upwards and the kris pointing at diagonal directions downwards and inwards. Both weapons signify the strength of Kelantanese Malays.
Dual cannons
Like the spears and krises, the dual cannons back the crescent, but point outwards and downwards diagonally. The cannons represent the Kelantan's constant readiness to defend itself. Supporters
The supporters of the arms are two salient muntjacs (kijangs), which serves as a reminder of Kelantan's long history. The kijang's prominence may trace back to the rule of the Queen of Kelantan, Che' Wan Kembang (Che' Siti), who adored her beloved kijang to the point of adopting coin with depictions of the kijang in the kingdom.
Motto
The motto consists of a scroll with written Jawi that reads Berserah Kepada Tuhan Kerajaan Kelantan (Kelantan is entrusted to God).
The Kelantanese flag consists of only a red field with a white charge in the centre derived from its state coat of arms, consisting of the arm's crescent, five pointed star, dual spears and unsheathed krises.
The red represents the honesty of Kelantan's settlers, citizens and king (the Sultan of Kelantan), while the charge signifies the sanctity of the Sultan of Kelantan. History
Between 1912 and 1923,
Kelantan adopted a significantly different flag design, which encompasses a white flag with a blue border enveloping the top, fly, and hoist of the flag, and Jawi scriptures stylised as a feline. The tip of the tail is interpreted as "Kerajaan Kelantan" (denoting the Kelantanese government), while the main body of the animal-based scripture contains two passages from the Qur'an, an excerpt of the 13th ayat of the 61st surah, the Al-Saf: “ Petolongan dari Allah dan Kemenangan yang dekat. Dan sampaikanlah berita gembira ini kepada orang-orang yang beiman. (Help from Allah and a speedy victory. So give the glad tidings to the believers.) ”
Following the abolishment of the 1912-1923 flag and the adoption of the new red-and-white flag in 1924, the charge of the new flag was given minor refinements over time. Between 1928 and 1932, accounts of the flag were made indicating the charge's heraldic elements was more closely similar to that of the arms.
While white, the charge sported more intricate details in the interior, and the points of the star are connected to their opposite corners by red lines. These details are since removed, contributing to a more silhouetted appearance of the charge.
As early as the 5th century, a Chinese historian named Shen-Yau recorded the existence of a thriving city called Ho-lo-tan or Kuo-lo-tan in the Malay Peninsula. Much later, the Sejarah Melayu (Malay Annals) records that during the reign of Sultan Mahmud Shah of Malacca, three princesses ruled Kelantan.
Early accounts of Kelantan history show it was embroiled in constant political turmoil with Thailand to the north and Terengganu, Pahang and Johor to the south.
After the fall of the Malacca Sultanate in the 15th century, Kelantan fell on and off under the influence of neighbouring Patani.
The Siamese eventually established their influence over Kelantan following a treaty in 1832. Later, Siam dispatched a British adviser with the title of Siamese High Commissioner to Kelantan. W.A. Graham was appointed the first Siamese High Commissioner in 1902.
Then in 1909, the British and Siamese ratified the Bangkok Agreement, delivering Kelantan to the British and J.S. Mascon was dispatched as the first British adviser.
The Japanese invasion in 1941 saw Kelantan being handed back to Siam during the Japanese Occupation. In September 1945, Kelantan was placed under the British Military Administration.
The British in London formed the Malayan Peninsula Planning Unit in 1943; and on 10 October 1945, the Malayan Union scheme was presented to the British Parliament.
Sir Harold MacMichael was sent to obtain the agreement of the Malay Rulers. According to the plan, Penang, Malacca and 9 Malay states were to be united under the Malayan Union.
However, Malay opposition derailed the Malayan Union plan.
The Malays united under the leadership of Dato’ Onn Jaafar to form the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) on 11 May 1946. Finally, the Federation of Malaya was founded on 1 February 1948 and on 31 August 1957, Malaya gained independence from the British.
